NBC orders 'Hannibal' series, 'Notorious' pilot

The Bryan Fuller-helmed contemporary thriller - which features characters from Thomas Harris's best-selling novel Red Dragon - will tell the story of FBI agent Will Graham and his mentor Dr Hannibal Lecter.

Lecter has previously been portrayed by Sir Anthony Hopkins in the movies The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal and Red Dragon.

Emmy award-winning actor Brian Cox also portrayed the character in Manhunter - itself based on Red Dragon.

It has previously been reported that Fuller, who is writing and executive producing the series, was "attracted to the dark, sick side" of the Hannibal character.

Fuller is best known for his work on Pushing Daisies. He is also currently working on the Munsters reboot Mockingbird Lane for the Peacock Network.

His reworking of the 1960s comedy has previously been tipped by NBC to be a "potential summer or event series" and will mix "striking visuals" with "classic Munsters archetypes".

Mockingbird Lane was reportedly postponed by NBC last week in order to give it extra attention, which would put it in contention for the 2013 midseason.

According to Deadline, NBC has also ordered a pilot episode of Notorious.

The show is a soap about a female detective who returns to the home of her childhood to investigate the murder of her childhood friend, the daughter of the wealthy family that her mother served as a maid.

Notorious is created by Liz Heldens, who is best known for Prime Suspect and Friday Night Lights.